The first time I tried Malvasia Istriana Bianca was with the owner of Tenuta di Blasig in Friuli. My visit to that winery was also one of my first winery visits for my women in wine blog posts and thus remains close to my heart.
Malvasia as we know can be a white, red or rose grape and is grown throughout Italy. It can also be an aromatic variety or not. This one hails from Friuli Venezia Giulia. It also grows in nearby Croatia.same variety that grows in Friuli under the name Malvasia Istriana Bianca or Malvasia d’Istria. It can be found in the Carso, Collio, Colli Orientali del Friuli, Friuli Aquileia and Friuli Latisana.
Wines made from this variety are not so easy to find in the USA although you can find some. In fact it is easier to find the ones from Croatia.
In terms of the aroma and flavor profile of wines made with this variety, they tend to have good fruit, acidity and lovely mineral notes which I really enjoy. They also always seem to have the bitter note on the finish that is typical of so many Italian white wines. This version of Malvasia works as an aperitif but it would pair very well with pasta, fish or chicken or any seafood dish.
